WASHINGTON- The Commerce Department's
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA) today released a comprehensive report on the use
of the nation’s airwaves used by the U.S. federal
government, based on submissions of spectrum plans from
15 Federal agencies. The report titled, The
Federal Strategic Spectrum Plan, is a key component
of President
Bush’s 21st Century Spectrum Policy
Initiative for improving the management of spectrum by
federal agencies.

“The plan provides transparency on how the federal
government uses the nation’s airwaves and provides
the framework for the National Spectrum Plan to be completed
with the Federal Communications Commission,” said
Acting Assistant Secretary Meredith Baker.

The report provides extensive data on federal spectrum
use and plans, including frequency bands, radiocommunication
services, and spectrum-dependent systems.
Among several recommendations provided in the report,
federal agencies should over the next five years:

use commercial services where feasible;

implement “smart” radio technologies
to improve more dynamic access to needed frequencies,
wherever and whenever needed;

work with NTIA on identifying economic
and other incentives to promote more
efficient use of spectrum;

facilitate sharing among
federal users and between federal and non-federal users;

The plan was formulated using the agency-specific strategic
spectrum plans from 15 agencies: the Departments of Agriculture;
Commerce; Defense; Energy; Homeland Security; Interior;
Justice; State; Transportation; Treasury; and Veterans
Affairs; the United States Postal Service; the Broadcasting
Board of Governors; the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration; and the National Science Foundation.